Persona: If
by worthlessvalor
Summary: This story is an alternate timeline of Persona 3, where Minato survived the battle against Nyx, and Aigis sealed the Goddess instead. Chapter 4: Again. That nightmare came after me once again.
1. Prologue

_The most important thing to me, __is to be by your side._

_I will always protect you._

xxxxx

**It's futile.**

That realization rushed into me as I gazed at the descending moon above, and at _his _body slowly floating toward it. I pushed my body harder, against the invisible force weighting me down to the ground, reaching my hand helplessly to _him_.

"No! Don't go!"

I could see all of the members of SEES, all my friends, struggling against themselves as well, trying hard to reach him with no avail, each voicing their desperate calls.

"Why? After all we've been through..."

"Stop, don't do this! Come back!"

But it's futile. We could never reach him.

The invisible force returned and hit me harder, tempting my system to shut down. But I resisted. I'm no longer a mere machine; even though everything seemed impossible, even if my system overloaded and my circuits were burnt to crisp, I would fight to the end with all my will. That's something I learned from _him_.

That's what it means to live.

I strengthened my resolve and gritted my teeth, pushing myself over the critical capacity my body could ever handle. Just a little more; I have to be by his side. I wouldn't let him fight all alone.

But still, it's futile.

Another wave surged through my worn body and my vision sensor was cut off, shutting down my system one by one, sending me to the pitch black abyss of unconsciousness I've known so well.

_Is there...really nothing I could do?_

xxxxx

"Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise; to have a new guest at this unlikely timing, and a very rare one, too."

An unfamiliar voice entered my ears and I opened my eyes, only to meet yet a more suprising scenery. A room—or was it an elevator?—tainted all in deep blue, and two figures staring so calmly at me; an old man with long pointy nose, and a young woman with piercing yellow eyes.

"Are you a simulacrum, or in fact human...?"

I didn't answer; my perception module wasn't fully functioning yet. As my system slowly recovering, I finally realized I was sitting on a chair adjacent to the old man, a simple round table separating us. What happened? What is this place? As if answering my question, the old man spoke.

"Welcome to the velvet room, my dear. My name is Igor."

Velvet room? When did I get here? But before I could register anything, the man continued.

"And this is Elizabeth, my assistant. We reside in this velvet room."

The said girl smiled and greeted me, while I could only stare at the two of them with wide eyes. I could hear Igor snickered, before continuing his speech.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter... A place for those who have forged a contract..."

"A contract?"

My voice finally came out for the first time, and Igor seemed delighted to hear it.

"Yes... In awakening to the power of the wild card, you are now bound to a contract. You must have known it, the ability to hold multiple Personas and wield their powers..."

Suddenly, the image of _him_ resurfaced from my bank of memories and I stood, almost slamming my hands to the table.

"You...know of him? You know of Minato?"

"Indeed, I do. And right now he almost reach the end of his journey, to find the 'answer to life'... The power you have gained is a means to attain that answer."

The 'answer to life'... I muttered to myself and casted my eyes downward. For me that just understand what it meant to be alive, it was a very huge mystery.

...

No, I knew. I had actually known it.

I clenched my fist and brought my face back up, a small smile on my face.

"The answer to life is...'bonds', isn't it? The relationships with your friends...and your loved ones..."

It felt strange, hearing myself saying such things; it wasn't the same as the purpose of life written in my program, but still, I knew it was the right answer. And I knew what I have to do. I could see Igor's perplexed face, only for a moment, before it was instantly replaced by a huge grin.

"This is yet another surprise. I've never dreamed of seeing a journey that ends as it begins."

He closed his eyes as if in remembrance.

"Ah yes, if he is like a fine tree, growing bit by bit into splendor, you are like a flower. The **Night Blooming Cereus; **a pure white flower that resembles nothing but dead bush for year, only to bloom madly on one summer night, before closing its petals with the first rays of morning sun forever..."

The night-blooming cereus... I held my hand above my chest, suddenly feeling at peace.

"It seems that you have safely reached your destination. Though very brief, I am delighted to be your acquaintances. Now we must bid goodbye."

The ascending elevator suddenly came into a stop, its barred entrance slowly shifted open, engulfing me in a soothing light. And I walked forward, sending the two figures one last smile before I vanished into the pure white scenery.

xxxxx

I jolted back to reality to the sound of everyone calling _his_ name. Everyone was giving him power, trusting their future on him and giving their whole life. And now, it is my turn.

"I won't allow this world to be destroyed!"

My body felt so light, the suffocating presence of Nyx could no longer be felt, and I rose to my feet.

"**I need your help! Orpheus!"**

The name came out naturally, and soon enough I saw the said Persona, my Persona, materialized before me. I could sense all the shock emerging from my friends, boring into me, but I didn't stop. I let my newfound power guided me, with Orpheus holding me and floated away, bringing me to _his_ place.

The scenery changed drastically as I reached the surface of the moon, and I could find him standing there all alone in the pitch black world, facing the embodiment of death without fear. I approached him and held his hand; the sudden contact seemed to catch him off guard, and the look on his eyes proved that he didn't expect me to be there. I smiled and squeezed his hand harder, trying my best to hold my strength limiter not to crush his hand in mine.

"_I promised...I will always protect you..."_

Without thinking I raised my index finger to the sky, as if shushing a child, staring eye to eye with the mother of death herself, and I could feel power flowing from inside me. It was very strange, this whole scenario unfolding before me. All the things I did by now, they were illogical. No instruction was written about it in my program, yet, I felt so sure about the procedure. It was as if it came directly from my soul, from my heart; an abstract idea and uncalculated outcome. It felt strange, yet so right. It was as if I was no longer a mere machine programmed to simulate a heart, but having a heart of my own.

**It was as if, I'm a real human.**

I smiled, a real heartfelt smile I ever had, and closed my eyes, whispering softly.

"Good night..."

* * *

**Hello everyone, Valor here.**

**For those who has stumbled upon this story, I want to say that this story is a 'what if' I made (and no, it doesn't have anything to do with Shin Megami Tensei: If...) where Minato survived the whole ordeal with ****Aigis sealing Nyx instead**. Well, I hope you can enjoy this little alternate timeline I created, because I plan to make chapters of this, maybe even until Minato meet with the P4 cast. Probably. *laughs*

**Anyways, enjoy~ And leave a review to let me know what you think.**


	2. Memento Mori

**This is the end.**

I could feel it by then, the power swelling inside me, forged from the bonds I made with my friends. Yes, this is the end of my journey. To stop the unbeatable Nyx, and protect the 'answer to life' I have reached, I had to seal the goddess away with everything I had. And I knew, if I did that,

**I would die.**

Death was a very dreadful thing, and it's natural for humans to be afraid of it, even if they unconsciously wished for it. But right then, there was no fear in my heart. I was satisfied with my life, with all the time I spent with everyone, and if I was the only one that could protect those precious moments, I had no problem in giving my life away.

Yes, everything is over.

I slowly raised my hand toward the descending goddess, but before I could do anything, a firm grip took hold of my hand mid-movement, and I blinked back to reality from my trance like state. I shifted my gaze to my side, only to find a pair of baby blue eyes and a lock of golden hair; I stared at the owner in shock.

"...Aigis?"

The female android smiled and gripped my hand harder, and I couldn't help squeezing back her metallic but somehow warm hand.

"_I promised...I will always protect you..."_

What is she doing here? How did she get here? There were so many things I wanted to ask her, but my voice was stuck in my throat. I could only stare as she raised her index finger to the sky, something that I was just about to do right before she arrived, and saw the power I accumulated inside flowed into her. I was rendered speechless all the while, hearing her soft voice shushing the omnipotent being above us back to sleep, before a bright light blinded me.

Soon I was transported into another place, not pitch black like before, but filled with countless stars. I realized that I was floating alone in the otherworldy dimension, and instinctively darted my eyes around me, trying to find her.

"It's alright..."

Her sweet voice entered my ears, and I turned toward the direction of its source, unconsciously sighing in relief as I registered her presence floating not so far away from me. Soon enough I started to hear another voices, of all my friends calling desperately at us. I could see them below, as if standing on a different plane from me and Aigis, and once again I sighed, before a smile crept up my face.

_"Don't worry."_

Another voice. I knew that voice better than anyone. It was none other than Ryoji; one that was once a classmate of mine, a Shadow called Death that used to reside inside me for a long while, and the avatar of Nyx herself.

_"I will sleep once again. Normal days will return to the universe, for you, for them... and for her."_

I switched my gaze back to Aigis, watching her small smile adorning her face perfectly.

_"She's found the answer to life's greatest question. I was only surprised that she would find it sooner than you."_

I felt the urge to agree with him, but I held myself and simply listen intently, letting him finish his speech.

_"The Dark Hour will soon vanish from this world. Congratulations, you have the miracle you sought. We shall meet again someday..."_

The sound of a bell signaled the end of his monologue, and I could saw Tartarus crumbling beneath me, before returning to the moon, back to its creator's embrace. I felt another presence beside me who turned out to be Aigis, holding my hand once again.

"Let's go home. Everyone is waiting for us."

I nodded and held her back, smiling widely.

"Yeah. Let's go..."

xxxxx

I woke up to the ceiling of my room, yawning as I fight sleepiness away. I rolled to my side to take a glance on the calendar. It was already March; before I realized one year had passed since I first moved here. Time sure went by fast. Well, no matter. I got up and brush my teeth, readying myself for school.

The morning before school starts was as lively as usual, students chatting and enjoying themselves, spending their precious moment with their friends. I heard footsteps quickly approaching from behind, and suddenly one of my own friend popped into my field of vision, startling me.

"Yo!"

Junpei was there, wearing the same goofy smile he always had, and I greeted him back. We stopped for a little chat, and he whined about the upcoming seniors year. Personally, I think nothing would change too much. But then something he said struck me.

"**Man, why do I feel like forgetting something?"**

That's right. I also had this kind of strange feelings lately, that I had forgotten something so important, but I kept silent, thinking that it probably just my imagination. But now Junpei was feeling the same. What is it that we had forgotten? We decided to discuss the matter later and continued our way to class, but something caught me attention and I once again stopped dead on my track.

There was a girl, with blonde hair and blue eyes, hiding behind a tree, staring at us. Something about her felt so otherwordly that I almost thought I was imagining things, but seemed like Junpei saw her too.

"Dude, she's pretty cute! How come I never noticed her before?"

I couldn't help but sigh. Typical Junpei, though I had to agree that she indeed very cute. I didn't know how long I had been staring at her when a voice interrupted me.

"What are you talking about? She lives in a same dorm as us."

I almost jumped when Yukari, one of my dormmates, suddenly materialized beside me, but I succeeded in keeping my cool. Not the case with Junpei though; he practically jumped a few feet away in shock, almost shouting. She's in the same dorm as me, huh? I guess that explained why she looked so familiar, but still, something felt off. I kept staring at her while half-listening to Junpei and Yukari, before my archer friend decided to greet the mysterious girl. It wasn't successful, as she quickly ran after we greeted her, a pained look on her face. I sighed despite myself, trying to hide my disappointment.

I followed my two friends back to class, my whole mind still preoccupied by the blonde girl all day. Who is she? Which class is she from? Questions after questions popped in my mind as I stared at the empty seat beside me. Could this be her seat? Wait, she's skipping class? I shook my head and tried to focus on the lesson, but finding it to be harder than I thought. If it was the usual me I would shrug the matter off and said 'whatever', but somehow she had completely took my attention. Finally, I sighed in defeat.

"I should look for her again after school..."

xxxxx

Her name was Aigis. She transferred to Gekkoukan High not long after me, and she stayed on this exact same dorm as mine; those were the only informations I got in the past two days. Many things about her were shrouded in mystery. I sighed and buried my face to my desk, feeling tired. I should really leave the dorm now and head to school; today was graduation's day and the ceremony would start soon, but I didn't feel like going somehow. Suddenly there was a knock on my door, and a voice I couldn't believe I'd heard came from behind the closed mechanism.

"_It's me, Aigis. May I please come in?"_

I quickly rushed to the door, trying to hide all my excitement behind my cool facade. I opened the door to meet her blue eyes, as charming as ever, and I let her in.

"I'm sorry to show up so suddenly, but I needed to talk to you."

_Yeah, me too. _Though how much I wanted to say that, I decided to use a different approach.

"Of course, what is it?"

I gave her a smile, but what she said afterwards drained the color from my face.

**"Do you remember? That day, when the world almost come to an end?"**

The world...almost came to an end. Wait, it was all over the news, right? People disappearing. The apathy syndrome.

Tartarus. Nyx. Shadows.

Persona.

...

Suddenly memories rushed into my head like a stream, and I grabbed her shoulder, staring deep into her eyes.

"Aigis! You..."

My voice was trembling, and I couldn't help but sending my gaze to the floor, before closing them completely to fight my tears.

"I see... I remember now... I'm glad that you're okay..."

Yes, I remember everything now; of those days we all spent and all the battle we did to prevent the fall of humanity. And I remember how she sealed the embodiment of death away, while I should actually be the one to do it. But it didn't matter now. She was here and all in one piece, and that's the only thing matter. She seemed to understand everything and held me closer to her, comforting me. Really, since when did she become this human? I couldn't care less now, simply savoring the moment. After a while, she finally spoke softly.

"Graduation's today, isn't it? Do you remember the promise we all made? Why don't we go there and wait for the other?"

I remembered, before the last battle, we all promised to meet again after everything's over at graduation's day. I wondered if they would remember, too. I pushed my worry away and nodded, letting her guide me back to the school, hand on hand.

xxxxx

The view from above the school rooftop was as breathtaking as ever, and the gentle breeze of wind brought the smell of the ocean to us. I closed my eyes as I lay on her lap, taking in the nostalgic fragrance. It took me back to Yakushima, to the sandy beach where I first met her. I reopened my eyes and gazed at her beautiful face, decorated by the dancing petals of cherry blossoms floating on the air, her eyes filled with awe.

"This is my first time experiencing spring. It's so...beautiful."

"It is."

I chuckled, and I could see her smiling herself, looking so satisfied for the first time.

"I realized something when I decided to try and prevent the Fall. That time, when I thought I might never be able to see you again, it became clear to me—what I wanted the most... The reason of my 'life'."

She turned her face to my lying body, tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"That moment, I decided that I would protect you, not as an order, but from my heart. I would protect you... no matter what it takes..."

I couldn't help but cupped her face on my palm, and she held my outstretching hand on hers, sobbing. I whispered to her gently.

"It's alright, Aigis. Everything's over now."

"You're right... What am I doing? I have found the answer to my life; I should be happy instead..."

I let her cry for a while, trying my best to comfort her, just like she did to me before. She tried to smile despite her tears.

"Thank you... Thank you...for everything...

_'And I'm sorry..."_

Her soft trembling voice and little smile gave a strong pang in my chest, as if it would be the last time I'd see her. I swallowed, trying to find my voice.

"Don't be."

I embraced that moment, burning her image to the back of my mind; her slightly flustered face, her shining golden hair, her beautiful smile, and her warm tears falling onto my face. I took in every details of her, and swore never to forget. If only she knew she too was precious to me, as much as I was to her, then at that time, I would be the one standing in front of her, protecting her, just like she always did from me. I made that promised to myself and brushed the tears off her face, the last tears that I would let her shed, smiling. Faintly, I started to hear footsteps and familiar voices coming from the stairs, and I sat back up, turning to face the door. I laughed softly as I recognised them.

"Do you hear that, Aigis? Everyone is coming for us; our friends. Don't cry anymore, okay?"

She didn't answer. But before I could turn and check on her, I felt her weight fell onto me, and glanced to my side. Her eyes was closed as she leaned her head on my shoulder, her face looked so peaceful as she smile on her sleep. She must be tired. I turned and put my arms around her, letting her rest on a more comfortable position, resting my own head above hers.

"It's alright, just rest for now. I'll be right here with you."

At that time I didn't know yet, that it would be the last moment we spent together.

* * *

**I was listening to Kimi no Kioku while writing this, and man did I almost bawl myself. *laughs* But I don't know, maybe it just me.**

**And the title of this chapter "Memento Mori" which means "remember you (or everyone) will someday die", it was because I remember at the end of Aeon social link Aigis once said that she's unable to die, that she will continue to live ****forever because she's a robot, but I kinda disagree with her. Death is inevitable for everyone, only that it comes on different time. Nothing is eternal. Ah well, why am I ranting here. **

**Enjoy the story~**


	3. One realize something when they lose it

**It's been three days since she fell asleep, **and since then, Aigis had yet to open her eyes.

At first I thought she was just tired from the last ordeal, having to wield the power of the wild card for the first time and sealing Nyx right after, so once I finished my reunion with all the members of SEES on the rooftop, I took her back to the dorm and carried her to her room, letting her sleep on her throne-like terminal.

The next day she had yet to wake up, but I could still tolerate. I knew having multiple Personas could be very tiring at first. Maybe it took too much of a toll on her, so I kept my mind at ease and let her rest for a while longer, stroking her soft blonde hair as she continued her slumber.

Two days passed and I started to feel like something was off. I told Mitsuru and Fuuka about my suspicion, and they agreed to check on her condition. We turned on the power to her terminal and investigated her system through the computer. There were some faulty parts and broken circuits, but overall they were minors, something that even my tech-loving friend could fix, so I let her. But even after all that, her eyes didn't flutter even a bit.

And then, three days passed...

I stood there in front of a room with a simple plating that read 'Aigis', one hand holding my school bag, staring at the simple wooden material that was her door. The dorm was still empty around this time; everyone would still be at school doing club activities, or hanging outs around the mall. Usually I wouldn't be back until evening myself, but there I was early in the afternoon, alone, knocking on the door leading to my android companion. There was no response from the other end, no whirring sound of machinery or whatever, so I pushed the door open; to be honest, I didn't think there would be any response either, but I couldn't help feeling down and sighed despite myself. Soon enough my gaze was met with the scenery that started to become painfully familiar.

Aigis was there, exactly in the same position I just left her three days ago, sitting on her personal terminal, eyes closed and lips pursed into a small smile. Her peaceful sleeping face gave birth into many sensation inside me, like a soothing silence, and a lurking fear. I decided to push them to the back of my mind and proceeded to sit on my usual place adjacent to her, putting my bag on the floor beside me; it was a simple chair I voluntarily brought there on my own accord, where I would sit for hours simply staring at her face, waiting for her beautiful blue orbs to reveal themselves once more. Until now, my wish hadn't been granted.

"Good afternoon, Aigis. How was your day?"

I greeted her and tried to put on my best smile. There was no answer, and I let out the breath I'd been holding in one long exhale. What am I even doing, talking to a sleeping person...or android, whatever. I ruffled my blue hair in frustration and sank deeper in my chair, feeling so stupid. I needed to keep myself together. Really, Aigis, what do I have to do for you to wake up?

"Yo! I know I'd find you here!"

I blinked as I heard a voice, almost jumping out of my seat, but as soon as I recognized where it came from and whose voice it was, I practically sank back.

"Oh.. It's just _you_, Junpei..."

"Dude, what's that disappointed looking voice for?"

Junpei stood there on the doorway before letting himself in, his eyes wandered to me, then to the sleeping body of Aigis. That time, I saw the look on his eyes changed a bit.

"Y'know," he started, "Looking at you guys like this remind me of myself and Chidori back when she was still alive."

Chidori. A girl who was once a Persona-user like us, yet decided to stand on our way. Ever since we captured her on one incident and admitted her to hospital, Junpei would always ran to her side everyday after school. I remembered he wouldn't return to the dorm until the day ended. He also told me how she seemed to take little interest on him, that he wouldn't give up until she open up to him, but in the end, she died sacrificing herself for him. Junpei had loved her, and she secretly felt the same too; they just didn't realize each other until it was too late. I wondered if that was the case with Aigis and me as well. As if reading my thought, my best friend snickered and turned at me with his trademark goofy smile.

"Stop worrying, dude. This is Aigis we're talking about; she'll be fine. Oh, just remember something! Mitsuru-senpai said she had contacted the lab about Aigis' condition. We'll bring her there this weekend."

My eyes widened and I shifted them away from her figure for the first time after a while, staring at Junpei.

"You mean..."

"We're back to Yakushima, baby! Aw hell, I wish it's summer already. Even if I hit the beach now there won't be any babe playing around this cold weather..."

"...whatever. You're on your own in that, pal."

"Ouch, that's harsh... Anyways, I'm hungry. Let's hit Wild Duck Burger; you haven't eat, right? Come on, my treat!"

I smiled and returned to my feet, following my loud dormmate out of the room. I gave the sleeping android one last glance, before I closed the door gently behind me.

"_Wait for me, Aigis."_

xxxxx

The island was still the same as how I remembered it last summer, safe for the cold wind that normally blew around this time of the year, with its beautiful sandy beach and clear blue sky. Yes, this is Yakushima. On the outside it was just a small island and a popular tourist spot throughout summer, but actually, it had its own dark secret. Deep in its forest, on the other side of the island, was the base of Kirijo's Laboratory of Ergo Research. It was a place where bunch of scientists conducted secret experiments on Shadows, but at the same time, it was also the place where Aigis was born. I took a deep breath of the refreshing ocean breeze, looking out to the sky from the little dock I first met her. One year had passed since then, huh? I closed my eyes and replayed our first meeting in my head.

"_You are..."_

_I kept silent and watched as the girl's eyes widened in realization, before they returned to their original size. I could swear her pupils transformed in a strange manner, like how I saw a camera lens focusing on an object, but it was humanely impossible so I must be imagining things._

"_Initiating evasive maneuver. Confirmation must be made on a secure location."_

"_What?"_

_Suddenly the girl broke into a run and disappeared into the forest. Without thinking I ran after her, probably shocked at how I made a girl run just from not saying anything. Did I really fail that miserably at this, uh, Operation Babe Hunt? I could faintly hear Junpei scolding me before the scenery around me turned into the deep green color of the woods, and I ran faster._

_After a while I finally found her, waiting for me in front of what I believed to be the oldest and biggest tree I'd seen, blue eyes locked on me. And what she said later knocked the air out of me._

"_I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you."_

I reopened my eyes and chuckled to myself. That was one hell of a meeting. But since then, a lot of things happened, and the 7th generation anti-shadow weapon I met back then was no longer the same machine, but a whole different person. And I...

...

I sighed, tucking my jacket closer as the cold wind blew pass me once again. I, since then, have something changed in me, too? I didn't know for sure. Not yet. But I did feel something, a strange feelings whenever I saw her, as if I couldn't let my eyes off of her, as if she's very precious. Of course all of my friends were precious, but she, even though I only realized it lately, she was special to me. At first I thought because she was a robot, that I ended up taking extra care around her and her innocent attitude, but it didn't seem to be the case. Could this be...

I didn't get to finish my line of thought as I heard a voice calling my name from behind, and I turned around to meet my one of my seniors, Mitsuru.

"I've been looking for you, Arisato. My personnel is checking on Aigis as we speak now, and they said they can give us the result this evening."

"I see..."

My voice didn't seem to have its usual vigor. Well, usually I didn't show much of emotions anyway, but Mitsuru seemed to realize the desperation in my tone, so she gave me a reassuring smile of hers.

"Don't worry. Our scientists are the best in the country; we will fix her."

After she saw a bit of relief in my features, she waved her hand in dismissal, heading toward the huge mansion belonged to her family, giving me one last glance.

"We will meet up in the meeting room at eight. Until then, please enjoy yourself."

xxxxx

I spent most of the day in my room, listening to music as I lied on the comfy bed the Kirijo had provided, not in the mood of doing anything. The weather was too cold for a walk anyway, but I bet all of my friends were busy with all the entertainment this luxurious vacation house could offer, enjoying themselves. But no, not me. I just somehow couldn't.

Raising my right hand, I took a glance at my wristwatch; seven forty-five. It wouldn't be long until the clock hit eight, and out of my own accord, I felt my heart started to beat faster. What should I say to her once I see her again? That I was glad to see her okay? No. I had said that to her three days ago. It would be awkward to say it again. Besides, that's not what I really wanted to say. Then what is it? I only got fifteen minutes to find out.

I covered my face with my hand, groaning in frustration. What I truly wanted to tell her... What I truly feel... If it was to be told in her words, _'the most important thing to me is to be by your side'._ Yes, I wanted to be with her. But why? It's because I...

_"**I love her."**_

The moment those words left my lips felt like all the weight in my heart had been lifted, like the curtain to my deepest feelings had been opened.

...

That's right. I love her.

I do love her.

It just had to be hard for me to realize it. The newfound feeling brought a warm sensation to me, and I smiled the most joyful smile I had ever made. I knew it now, what I would tell her. The first thing that I would tell her once I see her again.

I would tell her that I loved her.

**That I too want to be by her side and protect her.**

A knock was heard on my door and I slipped back to reality.

"_Arisato-sama, the young mistress is calling for you. She said to come to the meeting room right away."_

As soon as the voice finished the message I could heard the shuffling sound of footsteps leaving the hallway. I guess that's my cue. I leapt down my bed and exited my room, hiding my excitement with my usual cool facade, while my heart beat faster and faster. Soon enough I reached the appointed place, and seeing all my friends waiting there with each their eager expressions didn't help. Everyone was there, even Koromaru and Ken, waiting for the news to be delivered. I gave a glance to Mitsuru and she nodded.

"The head scientist will arrive in a while. Ah wait, there he is."

As if the timing couldn't get any better, the door leading to the meeting room swung open to reveal a man on a standard lab coat, holding a bunch of papers, probably data related, alone. Aigis was not with him and I felt a little disappointed. He spoke with Mitsuru for a while before her face suddenly turn into a shock. What happened? I furrowed my brows as I saw the expression on the Kirijo heiress' face darkened and she swallowed her voice.

"Everyone, I... I have a bad news for you..."

Bad news? I clenched my hands inside my pocket, clawing on the fabric of my pants for comfort. Everyone seemed to feel the same tension in the air, as I could see smiles and laughters were drowned from their face. Mitsuru herself seemed to be trembling, so the scientist decided to finish for her.

"I have news regarding the current condition of the 7th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Aigis. We have run complete analysis on her and tried our best to replace her faulty parts, but in the end, the unit remains unresponsive. After a throughout check and re-evaluation, we finally concluded: that the unit is unable to continue her service and will be deactivated."

_What!?_ Murmurs were heard here and there as each of us took in the shocking announcement before us. I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands harder until I couldn't feel them anymore, hiding my eyes behind the curtain of my bangs. I heard a slam on the table soon after, and Junpei roared.

"WELL, TRY HARDER! IT'S **YOUR** JOB TO FIX HER, RIGHT?"

The scientist sighed and flipped through the papers on his hands, continuing his speech.

"There is a certain part of her that we can't fix, more specifically the core of her personality module; the** Papillon Heart**. A vital component we called the **Plume of Dusk**, through an unknown phenomenon, was missing. That one component is the only exhaustible part of her, and since we have implanted all of the resources we have in the moment of her creation, there are no spare left."

The atmosphere grew heavier, and this time, it's Akihiko's turn to shout.

"So you said you can't make that little component!?"

"**NO. **The Plume of Dusk is a black box where we don't have unlimited access to its source. Not to mention most of our data of it was destroyed during Death's rampage ten years ago. It is, in a term of a human being, **her soul**. We haven't reached the mean of creating such thing."

Everyone grew silent, and I could already hear Fuuka started to sob. No. This got to be some kind of a sick joke. This couldn't be real, right? He's only joking, right? I haven't even told her anything. I haven't even return all those feelings she gave me. So this couldn't be real, right? Right? I let my gaze wandered to my friends, trying to find something to prove myself, but all I could see and hear brought me further from my ideal future. And as if dealing a finishing blow to my delusion, Ken spoked.

"So what you want to say... Aigis is..."

I turned my eyes back to the scientist in horror, praying silently to all the gods out there that he would laugh his ass off soon after, that he succeeded to fool the hell of all of us. But he didn't. The stern look on his eyes didn't falter, and he opened his mouth. No, don't say it. Please!

"**The 7****th**** Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon, Aigis, has died."**

Right then, my world crumbled.

* * *

**...okay, this is depressing. *close the word processor and hung my head* *psycho smile***

**Oh shit, sorry don't mind me. Ha ha! *cough* Hello, everyone! Welcome to the third chapter of Persona: If... and the beginning of a tragedy... *snicker* But no really, most of you had probably guessed this outcome, but yeah, I just had to make it explode in front of Minato's face. **

**Well, enjoy the story and stay tune for the next issue~**


	4. A Fool that's Yet to Learn

_All alone in the pitch black world_

_was a young little boy reaching toward the light_

_Like a moth drawn to flame_

_he ran and ran and ran_

_But no matter how hard he tried_

_the light slipped out of his hand_

xxxxx

The first thing I realized when I opened my eyes was my own heartbeat thumping painfully against my ribcage, my ragged breath followed right after, choking me. I raised my shaky hands, clawing on my messy blue hair that started to get wet with sweat, whimpering. Again. **That nightmare came after me once again.** How many times had it been now? Twice? Thrice? Or even more? I've lost count. Letting out a long breath, I tried to calm myself down; it was only a dream, I assured myself, a dream and nothing else.

...

Nothing else?

I sighed and rose from my messy bed, walking toward the sink for a splash on the face, trying to drain all those previous image from my head. I looked up to the mirror hanging just above, staring at my pitiful sorry state; my hair unkempt and my dark eyes showing a lack of sleep, the strong and confident self I once were was nowhere to be seen. Just what is left of me now? My reflection gave no answer. I turned away, letting my gaze wandered around my room, searching for nothing in particular.

The room was almost empty, safe for some stack of cardboard boxes scattered all over, my very own belongings stuffed inside. Yes, I remembered now. Today is the 31th of March; the day this dorm will be closed for good. I believed the Kirijo Group took the decision in order to wipe all traces of their activities revolving around Shadows in the area, and besides, after all the incidents had been settled there's no more reason for us to stay. It's time to leave and move on with our life, so they said. A part of me felt surprisingly satisfied by this outcome, because I don't think I could stay in this place any longer. This place where my memories of _her_ lingered.

"Tch, not again..."

I gritted my teeth, holding my throbbing head as images after images of _her _resurfaced from my memories; her beautiful blue eyes, her innocent smile, her quiet laughter, every parts of her that I used to long so much were nothing but a haunting nightmares now, looping on and on inside my head like a broken record. I shook my head, trying to shake them off along with it, and quickly returned my attention to the littered cardboard boxes. I was mostly done packing my things, leaving only a few trinkets of memento from my friends laid away on my desk; I let my eyes scanned the pile. There were bunch of random things, from letters to notebook to fruit to lighter, but among many distinct things there's one that caught my attention, glinting in the dim light. **A simple charred screw**.

Another wave of headache suddenly hit me, and I doubled over in pain, clutching my head as _her_ images returned.

"_As you can see, I'm a machine. __That used to make me sad, but... I figured something out."_

I could see her smiling gently.

"_There's something only I can say because I am unable to die; __**I will never leave you.**_

_'No matter how or when your life comes to an end, at that moment, I will be at your side—"_

**CRASH!**

Lies.

It's all a lie.

Ha ha, how funny.

She gained emotions only recently and she had learned how to lie, among other things? I couldn't take the sick joke anymore and I started to chuckle to myself, tearing at my already messy hair. It was only after a few moments that I finally realized a knocking sound coming from my door.

"Minato-san? Are you alright? I heard something like a shattering glass just now..."

A voice. Ken's voice. I blinked back to reality only to be welcomed by a sharp pain from my right hand; I instantly switched my gaze toward the source of pain, finding my fist crashing onto the sink mirror, leaving it in a mess of blood and cracking glass. I bit my lip.

"...yeah. Yeah, everything is fine. I just...knocked a glass over. It's nothing."

"If you say so. Mitsuru-san told us to gather at the lobby and bring along our evoker."

"Alright, I'll see you there shortly."

The little boy on the other side of the door seemed to hesitate for a while, before letting out a quiet 'okay' and proceeded to leave; I grimaced, slowly retracting my hand from the broken mirror. It was cut badly. Fortunately I'd learned basic first aid so I quickly finished the treatment, paying little attention at how the alcohol stung, and grabbed my evoker with my good hand, heading downstair.

Waiting on the living room were Mitsuru, Junpei, Fuuka, Ken, and Koromaru; it seemed like not everyone was present at the moment but that didn't seem to be a problem. All the evokers had been lined beside a suitcase sitting on the coffee table, safe for my own, and the former SEES members seemed to gaze intently at them, deep in thought. I took this as a cue and joined in naturally, hiding my own emotion behind my usual facade.

"Seems like I'm the last one."

They blinked as they finally registered my presence, and I casually put my evoker on the table, ignoring their shocked face.

"O-oh, Minato. Sorry, I didn't realize you were there."

Fuuka blushed in embarrassment, and I let out an awkward laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

"No matter, I just got here myself."

She stuttered some more while I said to her it's fine, holding my hand up to assure her, but it seemed to be a wrong move.

"Dude, what happened to your hand?"

Crap. I instinctively hid my bandaged hand. Everyone seemed fixated on me thanks to Junpei's outburst, and it didn't look like I could escape this situation, so I gave up, trying to make a plausible excuse.

"Ah, this? I accidentally hurt myself while I was packing. It's just a scratch, nothing to worry about."

They seemed to buy it, so I let out a sigh of relief and I took a seat beside Junpei, trying to act as normally as possible. After a few small talks, Mitsuru gathered all the evokers and stuffed them inside the suitcase, turning to me.

"Oh, before I forgot, Arisato; the principal have accepted your transfer letter. I hope you can go to his office tomorrow to complete a few documents."

"I see. Thanks—"

"Whoa, wait, _wait!_ Transfer letter? What transfer?"

Junpei cut in and rose from his chair, followed by the other, fixing their eyes on me once again. I sighed and passed a glance at Mitsuru, letting her explain the situation.

"You see, Arisato will be transferring from here starting next semester. He won't be attending his senior year at Gekkoukan."

"What the hell, man? Why so sudden!?"

I didn't answer, simply giving him an apologetic look; Junpei groaned and scratched his head in frustration, but didn't enquire the matter any further as he settled back to his seat, which I felt kinda grateful for since I didn't feel like talking about it. After a minute of grumbling, Junpei jumped from his seat again, raising his fist.

"Ah, sheesh! This's not supposed to be a sad occasion, so let's get back in track!"

"Come to think of it," Mitsuru added, "I've ordered excellent sushi for dinner tonight. The same as before actually."

Junpei eyes lightened at this, and I could already see drool forming on the corner of his mouth.

"You got THAT sushi again? Sweet!"

Koromaru barked in excitement, and the atmosphere instantly turned cheerful. Well, I'd say the sushi Mitsuru ordered were always top-class, but I didn't know if I could enjoy it in my current condition. I guess I could try. Chuckling to myself, I joined in for another light conversation, trying hard to push away all my previous worry to the back of my mind.

Looks like it's going to be a long day.

xxxxx

We all laid waste on the couch from the delicious sushi platter before us; the food was amazing, but of course, just like the previous occasion, Mitsuru seemed to order a bit too much for the five of us. I set down my chopstick and rest my head to the comfy couch, taking a breather. It was hard eating with my injured hand, but most of all, I kinda enjoyed it. Junpei seemed to agree with me as he plopped down the couch beside me, looking in total bliss. He put out his cell phone, staring at the screen.

"Whoa, when'd it get so late?"

"True. I can't believe we spent the evening doing almost nothing. **It's almost midnight.**"

I tensed as I heard the simple statement Mitsuru said, and I could feel everyone did the same; we simultaneously turned our head to the TV as the presenter started the countdown to midnight, holding our breath.

Three...

Two...

One...

**DONG!**

I leaped from my seat, looking around. What was that? This feeling, it's almost as if...

"It can't be...**The Dark Hour?**"

I could hear Fuuka spoke, muttering to herself; Koromaru barked in response, and we all nodded. Junpei rushed toward the window, looking outside to confirm the situation, but then he sighed and shook his head.

"Nope. Everything's fine out there."

Huh. I guess it's just my imagination. Then again, I've been a bit paranoid these days; that might explain my uneasiness. I let out the breath I'd been holding and returned my attention to the TV, absentmindedly listening to the person reading the news.

"**Good evening. It is now March 31****st****."**

What? Wait, the 31st was yesterday, right? Did the anchor miss the date? We all exchanged look and started to check on each other's phone.

"Weird. My cell said it's the 31st , too..."

Listening to Ken's word, we fell silence for a while, before brushing the matter aside as a simple false alarm. But still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something felt off. ...or maybe it's just another one of my paranoia, and moreover it's late; maybe I should call it a night. I yawned and excused myself, saying good night as each of one us started to leave the lounge toward our respective room. I opened the door to my almost empty room, staring at my messy bed, and let out a long exasperated sigh.

Hope I'd have a good night sleep tonight.

xxxxx

"I can't sleep."

I lied down on my bed, eyes opened and all awake, staring at the dark ceiling. Even though I felt sleepy, I just couldn't bring myself to close my eyes, or in fact, afraid of closing my eyes. Afraid for another nightmare to come. I sat back up and reached to my bedside table, taking the pills I'd been using lately to help my sleep, gulping them down in one go. It helped me drifted away most of the time, but not with the nightmares. If only my body didn't need any sleep... I clutched my head again and groaned.

"Can I really...continue living like this?"

Ha ha, it's better being dead, right? Yes. It's easier to die for your beloved, rather than continuing to live without them. I knew it better than anyone else. I knew it, so why? Why am I still here? Why are you leaving instead? I clenched my fist and squirmed in pain, forgot about my injured hand. This is ridiculous. **Why can't you stay alive instead, and let me die?**

I'd fallen to this period of depression for how many times I couldn't count anymore, my love for her slowly turned into unreasonable hate, guilt chewing in the corner of my mind, driving me insane. It was on a night like this that I wished I could just fall asleep and face the inevitable nightmares instead. But even today, it was not an option to take.

**DONG!**

Another strange sound followed by a shaking motion brought me to my feet, feeling all alert. What was that? It didn't seem like an earthquake. A loud knock was heard from my door right after.

"Minato, are you awake?"

It's Fuuka. I tried to kept my calm and answered.

"Yes, what happened?"

"We need your help! The lobby floor opened up and, well, i-it's hard to describe! We have to hurry to the lounge!"

Grabbing my jacket, I swung the door open to meet the green-haired girl, putting on a stern look I hadn't showed for long.

"Lead the way."

We ran down the stair toward the familiar quarter, and what I saw froze me into a perfect stop. The floor had opened up and furniture were thrown in disarray; Junpei, Mitsuru, and Ken were on the floor, clutching themselves in pain, and standing before them was a girl with flaming red hair, her long cape swishing in the air. But what shocked me the most wasn't her, but a huge form towering just beside her; it's blank eyes boring right into my own.

"**Thanatos?"**

The strange girl flinched as she recognized my voice, and she turned around, excitement flaring from her striking red eyes while her smile stretched from ear to ear.

"**I've finally found you~ Big brother~"**

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! Enter the Female Prota-*killed for spoilers* *revive* **

**Hello again and welcome to another chapter of "Persona: If". Actually I wanted to upload this chapter on April Fool's but seems like I didn't make it. Oh, well. *laughs* ****Sheesh, a depressed Minato is kinda hard to write, especially with his usually calm personality contradict his frustrated mind (wait, isn't he normally that way?) but writing a near-craze character is one of my specialty (and joy****), I guess. I wonder if that feeling come across from my writing. *heh* And yup, that Charred Screw is the one from Aeon Social Link. ****Called it, huh? **

**By the way, here's a little bonus! void-contains-all()deviantart()com/art/Memento-Mori-442038231 ****It's a cover art I made based on chapter 2. Just removed the brackets () and replace them with dots .**

**Anyways, from here on the story will be set into motion with new ordeals coming up. For those who have played Persona 3 Fes "The Answer", enjoy the new storyline where Minato take the lead once again! For those who haven't, well, enjoy the story!**

**See you in the next chapter. And if you don't mind, review!**


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